December 28, 2021

Top 10 CampusGroups Events of 2021!

December 28, 2021/ Stephanie Chandra

In 2021, campus leaders saw the continued need for virtual and hybrid event programming for students to connect actively in their campus communities. Unlike in 2020, though, many on-campus activities resumed for students to safely gather in-person. 🙏

Overall, we have been truly inspired by what our campus partners have been up to in 2021! We’re honored to help support them as they create so many unique opportunities for students, staff and faculty to be together, share ideas, and learn from each other throughout the year. From networking to cultural exploration to creative expression, we’re highlighting 10 of our favorite events created by organizations in CampusGroups partner schools!

December 21, 2021

How to Help Make College Students Career Ready?

December 21, 2021/ Lucie-Kay Desthuis-Francis

Students pursue higher education to become career ready and lead fulfilling lives. What students learn and experience in college or university helps prepare them for the workforce and life.

College helps students enter the workplace, advancing career and earning aspirations. Postsecondary education also helps individuals thrive and experience overall life satisfaction.

A student is reportedly career ready when they have the skills and tools necessary to succeed in the workplace and manage their career long-term.

Career readiness provides a foundation for higher education establishments and employers to identify and develop key skills.

December 07, 2021

In Her Words: College Success Tips for Female Students with ADHD

December 07, 2021/ Stephanie Chandra

As a high school student, Taryn aced her Honors and AP courses. She was active in orchestra, field hockey, her church youth group and after-school job. She graduated cum laude and even earned an academic scholarship. No question - she was ready for college!

Or so she thought.

The college learning experience, she quickly learned, was completely different than high school. Managing classes, a social life and extra-curricular activities used to be easier with built-in support and structure from parents, teachers and a structured school schedule.

In this new learning environment, however, her academic success began to unravel.

November 23, 2021

Getting Involved on Campus: What Student Organizations Should You Join?

November 23, 2021/ Stephanie Chandra

When Isabella arrived on campus, she was excited to meet new people and discover more about herself and her new home. She knew that academics would take up a lot of her time but she didn’t want to miss out on campus life outside of the classroom.

She’d seen the movies. Wild parties and red Solo cups. That wasn’t the overall college experience she was after, though. Her eyes were on the prize: getting into a top graduate school. Even with her scholarship, Isabella understood the price tag of her education, and she had no intention of wasting the experience.

To get started on the right foot, Isabella decided to meet with her campus director of student life & activities. There, she received advice that could and would change her entire trajectory, helping to shape her campus experience and illuminate a pathway to reach her goals.

One key piece of advice Isabella received was that many enriching opportunities were available and happening all around her!

November 16, 2021

Campus Spotlight: Successful Platform Adoption at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

November 16, 2021/ Lucie-Kay Desthuis-Francis

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has been a CampusGroups (CG) partner since June 2020. It implemented the campus engagement software during the global Covid-19 pandemic when Saudi Arabia was in full lockdown.

KAUST was founded in 2009. It is located on the Red Sea in the small fishing village of Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. The unique Saudi campus is home to the kingdom’s first mixed-gender university campus, and hosts approximately 1,000 students and over 90 nationalities.

Prior to implementing CampusGroups, KAUST had a legacy student life community platform that had been abandoned by administrators and staff.

KAUST wanted a one-stop-shop for student life. They wanted a customizable and engaging system, available on the web and mobile. CG provided KAUST with the solutions to its challenges in one place.

November 09, 2021

Supporting Student Veterans in Higher Education

November 09, 2021/ Stephanie Chandra

Many college educators and student affairs administrators are taking a critical look at how they serve and support different populations such as student veterans and servicemembers. Throughout the entire student lifecycle, implementing strategies that support academic success, career planning, health & wellness, financial and social needs, are easing veterans’ adjustment to college, and helping them to thrive.

Student veterans, in many ways, set foot on campus already way ahead of the game. Many will bring unique strengths and experiences, a wealth of knowledge and expertise, leadership skills, focus and self-discipline to teamwork and group projects. They are able to enrich classroom discussions and enhance campus diversity overall.

November 02, 2021

How To Increase Connectivity with a Multi-Hub Campus Portal: Johns Hopkins University Campus Spotlight

November 02, 2021/ Lucie-Kay Desthuis-Francis

In July 2020, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) America's first research university launched CampusGroups at its Homewood and Peabody campuses. Homewood is the university’s main campus and home to two major undergraduate schools.

A year after, it rolled out the community platform university wide. Spread over nine campuses and three continents, JHU has over 30,000 students, including over 20,000 graduate students.

Due to the university’s structure, JHU implemented the CampusGroups Portal feature (“Hopkins Groups”) with multiple Community Hubs. One for each campus.

This has enabled each campus to have a custom landing page and menu, creating a personalized experience for students and administrators.

According to Calvin Smith, JHU’s Director of Student Leadership and Involvement, this rollout increased connectivity across JHU campuses. The biggest windfalls reportedly are:

Increased student engagement.
A better user experience.
More granular involvement stats.

October 12, 2021

How to Increase Adoption of Your Campus Mobile App?

October 12, 2021/ Lucie-Kay Desthuis-Francis

Mobile apps increasingly drive how students gather information, learn, work, and socialize. It is therefore critical for colleges to have a dedicated campus app as an engagement tool.

The aim is to have a mobile app that is the go-to resource for students. Having a well-designed app is only half the battle. It is also important to implement a mobile app adoption and engagement strategy, targeting new and existing students.

As the providers of a campus community platform, serving 70% of the top universities in the United States, we have put together some tips for increasing campus app adoption.